Frustration and Discontent in North Macedonia: Slow Progress Towards European Integration and Poor Governance

North Macedonia is experiencing frustration over the slow progress towards European integration, with much of the blame falling on the poor administration of the Social Democratic government. Despite making significant compromises for EU accession, including changing its name, the country has seen little progress in return. The recent election results reflect discontent with poor governance and lack of progress in addressing corruption and other issues.

The frustrations are compounded by obstacles such as the dispute with Bulgaria, which includes questions of identity and the recognition of a Bulgarian minority in North Macedonia. Despite efforts towards integration, including joining NATO, the lack of transparency in negotiations and trust issues remain. The Albanian coalition partner, DUI, has also played a role in the country’s political landscape, but the united Albanian opposition has made gains in the recent elections.

The national conservative VMRO-DPMNE won a landslide victory in parliamentary elections, falling just short of an absolute majority. The party leader Hristijan Mickoski is the new head of government, replacing Dimitar Kovacevski’s Social Democrats. Mickoski is not reliant on DUI to integrate the Albanian minority. Overall, the election results reflect both frustration with slow progress towards EU integration and discontent with governance issues that have hindered progress.